Black Cathedral

She could see figures moving in the dark mouth; gray shrouded figures, emerging from the blackness, coming to receive her.

‘No!’ she yelled at the top of her lungs. And then the darkness reached out and swallowed her.

Something struck her across the face. Not a hard blow, but it stung and made her eyes water.

‘Kirby? Kirby! Wake up!’

Suddenly she was aware of someone else in the room. A familiar voice.

Robert Carter’s face swam into view above her. ‘Kirby, are you all right?’

She struggled to sit up. There was a crushing pain in her head. Tentatively she touched it, her fingers tracing the outline of a lump at the back of her skull the size of a gull’s egg. ‘I fell,’ she said. ‘Must have hit my head.’

There was concern on his face and kindness in his eyes. ‘How did you fall?’

Kirby’s gaze flicked towards the wall. Smooth, unblemished. ‘I’m not sure.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘Tell me the truth, Kirby,’ he said.

‘Nothing to tell.’ She got to her feet and walked to the window, resting her forehead against the cooling glass.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t believe you.’

‘Believe what you like.’ She could see Carter’s reflection in the glass. He was unmoving, staring at her intently.

‘I think you should leave the island,’ he said.

‘You’re kidding! On the strength of one stupid accident?’

‘But it’s not just that, is it? I was talking to Jane earlier. She’s under the impression this place is getting to you, and you know Jane, she’s very good at reading people.’

‘Did she tell you why I was upset?’ There was a guarded look in Kirby’s eyes.

‘No. Do you want to tell me?’

Kirby shook her head.

‘That’s okay. But you’ll have to be careful. The island works on the emotions. Believe me, I know. I felt it the moment we stepped off the boat. What worries me is that some of us won’t be able to handle it.’

‘You mean I won’t be able to handle it.’ Christ, first Raj, now Carter.

‘I mean we’re all vulnerable…but some of us are better equipped to protect ourselves than others.’

‘I’m fine. I tripped. I fell and banged my head. And I’m sorry if I worried Jane earlier, but you’re both reading too much into it. I’m not leaving.’

‘I think that’s for Jane to decide.’ Carter walked across to her and rested his hands on her shoulders. ‘Kirby, we’re a team. We have to look out for each other. If you’ve seen something, experienced something, then you owe it to us all to say.’

‘Has Raj spoken to you?’

‘No, but I heard him talking to McKinley.’

‘Jesus! He’s probably laughing his bloody socks off by now.’

‘He wasn’t laughing. He seemed quite concerned. Listen, Kirby. This isn’t some high school science project we’re involved in here. People have disappeared and are probably dead. I understand if you don’t want to talk about what ever happened to you, and if you don’t want the others to know. I can identify with that. But when I found you lying on the floor, out cold, I feared the worst. So don’t bullshit me. I want to know what it is you think you saw. Because you sure as hell think you saw something, didn’t you?’

Kirby chewed her bottom lip, her eyes darting from right to left. ‘Okay,’ she said softly. Robert Carter led her back to the bed and sat down next to her. ‘From the beginning,’ he said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Carter found Jane in the library, arranging chairs around the circular table. Raj was also there, on the other side of the room, headphones on, checking the sound levels on an old Revox tape recorder.

Carter pulled Jane to one side and kept his voice low so Raj couldn’t hear. ‘I think Kirby should leave the island.’ Kirby had told him what she had seen; he believed her. His problem was he was convinced Kirby had been very close to being killed and he didn’t think she had the strength or the experience to battle what he was almost certain they were going to come up against.

‘Really? Why?’ Jane said. It was too early in her opinion for anyone to consider leaving, even if there was a means for them to do so.

‘Because I don’t think it’s safe for her to stay.’ ‘Wise move,’ Raj said, glancing round at them. ‘This place is going to destroy her.’

Jane spun round to look at him. ‘How did you hear…’ Raj took off the headphones and pointed to the small button microphone he’d placed in the center of the table.

Jane shook her head. ‘Bloody technology!’ ‘Our job would be a lot more difficult without it,’ Raj said.

‘Raj, butt out,’ Carter said. ‘Please.’ Raj shrugged and replaced his headphones. Jane pulled out a chair and gestured for Carter to sit down. ‘Has something happened?’

‘According to her, she’s been seeing things,’ Raj said.

‘Raj! Either come over here and join in the conversation properly, or shut up,’ Jane said.

Raj waved at her. ‘I’ve finished here for now. I’ll leave you to it. I’ve still got the basement rooms to wire.’

He left them alone.

Jane waited until he’d shut the door behind him. ‘Right. Now tell me what’s been going on?’

‘Well, Raj was right, in a way. Kirby has been seeing things. A sphere of light bouncing around in here, for instance. But there’s more; a lot more.’ He outlined Kirby’s account of what she’d experienced since arriving on the island.

‘What do you make of it?’ Jane said.

‘Someone, or something, tried to pull her through the wall. What do you make of it?’

‘It’s too early to say. We need more.’ She had no idea what her opinion was. It sounded unbelievable but yet she knew that Carter, and Kirby for that matter, were not prone to exaggeration.

‘She was pretty shaken up by the experience,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure she’s safe here.’

‘Are you saying she’s not up to the job?’ Jane bristled, Kirby had been her choice and she had no doubts about the young woman’s ability.

‘No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. I’ve worked with her before and always found her very competent. But I do think she’s very vulnerable, and what ever the forces are that inhabit this house and this island, I think they’ve recognized that vulnerability.’

‘Are you questioning my decision to bring her along?’ Jane knew that sounded painfully defensive but she couldn’t help herself.

Carter could hear the tension crackling in her voice like a static charge. ‘Hey, hold on a minute. Why the paranoia? I’m not questioning your decisions.’

‘Well, it wouldn’t be the first time, would it?’ Jane was digging a hole and had just started with her second spade.

He regarded her coolly. ‘I don’t really think this is the time for sniping. I’m simply reflecting your own concern, that’s all. When we spoke earlier you said you were worried about her. What’s changed your mind?’

She returned the cool gaze with one of her own. ‘Nothing’s changed my mind. I’m still concerned about her. But I need her here, I need you all here. If people start shipping out at the first sign of trouble, then this investigation is going to grind to a halt. And I can’t allow that to happen.’

‘So the Department comes first? Right?’ He realized he wasn’t going to persuade her. Her stubborn streak was still one of the qualities he admired in her.